Author

Bibliographic Citation

Annals of hepatology : official journal of the Mexican Association of Hepatology 2010; 9 Suppl: 132-40

Abstract

Hepatitis C is a major public health issue. It infects about 200 million people worldwide and is a major cause of chronic liver disease. Its transmission in medical facilities is a topic of increased concern, as outbreaks of the disease had raised the attention of media and medical authorities. To date, evidence suggests that infection from in which a health-care worker is involved is mostly result of bad injecting practices as well as the result of shared medical devices. Furthermore, the infection caused by physicians is rare and very few well documented cases exist on the literature. Among countries, different definitions and legislation exist, in that mode that the responsibility of this issue almost is an obligation of individual institutions. Nonetheless, Hepatitis C virus transmission in medical facilities is an important source of new cases, and as treatments options are very limited, it's recommendable that institutions as well as governments implement policies to avoid Hepatitis C spread in an almost fully preventable setting.

To determine the level of knowledge about possible disease outcomes and living wills among patients with heart failure (HF) treated in an emergency department and to evaluate their willingness to draw up a living will.